Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to southern Oregon, east to Idaho.

Habitat: Moist draws, thickets, hillsides, roadsides, and railroads.

Flowers: April-May

Origin: Introduced from Eurasia and northern Africa

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, flies, beetles

Deciduous, rigid, thorny shrub, 1-4 m. tall, often forming dense thickets; twigs blackish, often downy when young.

Leaves alternate, elliptic-ovate to obovate, finely serrate, 2-4 cm. long, not shiny.

Flowers solitary from each of the numerous nodes of the spur, appearing before the leaves; pedicels glabrous, 10-15 mm. long; calyx glabrous; petals 5, white, oblong-obovate, 5-7 mm. long.

Drupe globose, deep bluish-purple, glaucous, 10-15 mm. broad; pit sub-globose, rough-pitted.